Annuals and Perennials

May 31, 2018Johnny Adelman

Even in the longer, lazier days of summer, today’s fast pace doesn’t leave much time for landscaping. There are still summer sports, poolside parties, and vacations to factor in before you can deal with prepping, planting, and maintaining a yard full of plants and flowers. Here at Memphis Landscape, we want you to be able to enjoy a beautiful outdoor space that’s easy to install and maintain, and mixing annuals with perennials is one of the simplest ways to achieve that. We offer a large variety of both annuals and perennials to choose from to suit all your landscaping needs, and are happy to provide tips on the best way to mix these plants to create a scenic backdrop for your home that won’t break the bank or take up too much of your time. If you’re looking for landscaping ideas that will allow you slow down, relax, and enjoy a beautiful yard all summer long, take a look at our suggestions below!

What are annuals?

Annual plants and flowers are planted and replaced each year. They complete their life cycle within one growing season, and typically last from spring to fall. Seeds are planted in the spring, and with proper care, will produce flowers over the course of the summer. Toward the end of the growing season, generally late summer or early fall, these annual flowers will yield seeds, signaling that the life cycle is complete. With the first few hard frosts of fall, they will die, and their seeds can then be replanted in the spring, continuing the cycle of growth.

Some of our favorite and most popular annuals include:

Marigolds: These well-known bright orange beauties bloom continuously all summer long, and are extremely easy to grow. The seeds from these flowers can easily be found and saved for the following spring, and as a big benefit for us Mid-Southerners, they are natural mosquito repellants as well!

Geraniums: With a wide variety of colors to choose from, geraniums are especially attractive to butterflies and bees. Unlike some annuals, these plants can be brought indoors during the winter months. With good care and careful maintenance, they can be enjoyed indoors and out year after year.

Impatiens: Perfect for adding a bright spot to the shady corners of your gardens and landscape, impatiens need only a little light to survive all summer long. These flowers are also available in a number of colors and varieties.

Sunflowers: What says summer better than a big, beautiful sunflower? These bursts of sunshiney color put a smile on your face and hold their own in the hottest months in Memphis. Available in colors beyond the traditional bright yellow, sunflowers add easy accents to any place in your garden.

Zinnias: Easily adapted to flower beds or containers, these vibrant flowers can grow quite tall, and are continuous bloomers. Keeping them cut back is important for the longevity of the plants, so you can expect to enjoy frequent bouquets.

What are perennials?

Perennial plants and flowers are a gift that keeps on giving year after year, as long as simple maintenance is carried out. Some are short-lived, lasting only a few years, but they can spread by seed or through underground rhizomes, with the offspring replacing the original plant without any effort on your part. Other annuals will last for as long as they are cared for.

Some perennials that we love and often recommend include:

Hostas: Seen in countless southern gardens, this hearty plant is a perfect accent for any flowers blooming in your garden or beds. Hostas are extremely low maintenance plants, have many different varieties, and grow well even in the heat and humidity of the Mid-South.

Daylilies: A “sure bet” perennial if ever there was one, daylilies thrive in a wide variety of soil conditions, are generally immune to most diseases and pests, and bloom faithfully for years with very little attention. Daylily flowers open in the morning and die in the evening, but each stem carries many buds, so the plant stays in bloom for several weeks at a time.

Sedum: A reliable grower for your garden, sedum is a perennial succulent that blooms early in the spring and often lasts into late summer or sometimes through the end of fall. They’re drought tolerant, a helpful feature for plants in our region, and come in a multitude of shapes, sizes, and varieties.

Black-eyed Susans: These pretty gold flowers bloom for more than a month, usually beginning in late July or early August. They require next to no maintenance to grow in full sun, and are another favorite of butterflies and bees.

Spirea: One of the easiest flowering shrubs to grow, spireas are often used in perennial gardens. Blooming in late spring to midsummer, spirea flowers come in a wide range of colors, including pink, red, yellow, and white. Some types even have colorful fall foliage. Their size can range from 2 to 10 feet tall and wide, so make sure to plant it where it has plenty of room to grow. These beautiful bushes are wonderful accents to any garden and are very low-maintenance.

Let us help your landscape bloom from spring to fall

Planting both annuals and perennials in your outdoor space can add dramatic bursts of color to highlight your landscaping. Because they often bloom at different times, you’ll often have flowers to enjoy from spring right to fall. Maintaining perennials along with your annuals also means less replanting each spring.

Our Memphis Landscape team will often recommend a change of color three times per year, which we can match up with the seasons, giving you new flowers for spring, summer, and fall. We can provide you with a wide mix of different types, colors, and sizes of annuals and perennials, and advise you on what plants and flowers would work best with your landscape design.

For more information on how our experienced professionals can transform your residential or commercial property in Memphis, give us a call for a professional recommendation. We would the chance to give you landscaping you love!